


[Tentative Title] Twisting Fates

by BirdstarOfSkyclan



Series: One Shots, Short stories, and Possible Full Fics [1]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Bullying, Hell, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:47:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25001122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdstarOfSkyclan/pseuds/BirdstarOfSkyclan
Summary: Izuku is quirkless.This little fact has the whole world against him, and one day he finally listens. Not thinking about the 'sin' he commits, he ends up in hell, with a cannibal and Hellish Royalty with the optimism of a Disney Princess. Oh, he also loses control from time to time and kills someone. Hmm, maybe he can still be a hero.
Series: One Shots, Short stories, and Possible Full Fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1809976
Comments: 19
Kudos: 122





	1. Hellish Place

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so hear me out. I'm going to post two chapters of this garbage heap, and if anyone wants me to continue it, I will. I can't guarantee an update schedule on anything, my motivation to do anything but be a useless potato crashes at the worst times. Lemme know in the comments below.
> 
> I'm pretty sure I need to say:  
> TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide, dark themes(it is Hell), Death, Gore(I guess? maybe... probably)

It echoed through his head, an increasingly painful loop of mind-breaking words.

“If you want a quirk so badly, then I know a quick way to do it. Pray you’ll have a quirk in the next life, and take a swan dive off the roof!”

Usually, something like this wouldn’t faze Izuku, he’s dealt with it for years after all, but today was not a usual day. As his scorched notebook had flown out the window, so had his hopes of ever reconciling with his old friend. Who, you might ask? Bakugou Katsuki, Aldera Junior High’s resident firecracker/bully/pomeranian. Izuku had been running on empty hope-wise for a while, not a single person having faith in him. _Maybe I should, it’s not like anyone would miss me._ Izuku continued on his way home, mind running deeper and deeper into a self-deprecating spiral until-

“A medium skin-suit, you’ll be perfect to hide in. Thanks, kid, you’re my hero.”

All too fast for comprehension, a monster composed entirely of viscous slime burst from a manhole cover, grabbing onto Izuku and forcing its gelatinous body down his throat. “Don’t worry kid,” it continued, “I’ll only hurt for a little bit!” In his panic, Izuku barely registered the words.

Izuku couldn’t _breathe._ He struggled, writhing back and forth in the slime pulling against it, trying to bring his arms up to claw the slime from his throat but hopelessly immobile in the shifting mass. It _hurt,_ not a cut-or-scrape hurt, but a soul-deep agony as his breath was forced out of him. Just as his vision began to darken, his hope of survival with it, he heard a voice, dim and distorted to his addled brain.

“Have no fear, because I am here!” Before Izuku passed out, he caught a glimpse of the signature V and thought, _it can't be, can it?_

* * *

Izuku didn’t know how long it was before he woke up, but when he woke up it was sudden.

A hand was slapping his face, a familiar-sounding voice calling repetitively, “Hey, hey, hey kid…” Izuku was confused for a split second before his eyes snapped open, _the sludge villain, what-_ his thoughts came to a complete halt as he finally focused on the figure of his saviour.

“A-All Might?”

“Yes, it is I, All Might!” Again Izuku froze before jumping into action.

“Thank you, All Might, sir! Oh! Autograph. Gotta be something here for him to sign,” he began mumbling and fumbling through his bag before catching sight of the scorched notebook, ‘Hero Analysis for The Future No13’. “Here!” He opened the notebook only to find that “He already signed it!”

“Goodbye kid, but I have to take this villain to the police.”

Izuku’s happiness tanked. “A-already? You can’t stay?”

All Might chuckled, not even turning around, and _wow_ if that didn’t hurt too, ignoring him practically. “Heroes battle not only against villains but time itself, remember to keep cheering me on!” As All Might crouched down in his signature pose, ready to launch into the sky, Izuku blanked. Next thing he knew, he was hundreds of feet in the air clinging to All Might’s leg, the only thing between him and certain death being the man’s strength and his shaky grip.

Eventually, they landed on a roof, Izuku only being aware of this because of the jolt of landing, having clamped his eyes shut long ago. “Just knock on the door kid, I’m sure someone will open it eventually, I really have no time-”

“Wait, plea-”

“I can’t, goodbye-”

“Can someone like me be a hero like you?” All Might froze. _Bad sign,_ screamed Izuku’s mind, but he didn’t listen to himself, he should have. “Can even someone quirkless like me, save people like you?”

All Might’s voice was weak as he muttered, “Without… a quirk?” before bursting into a cloud of smoke. Izuku, however, lost in a spiral of self-doubt and worry, didn’t hear that whispered query or see the smoke as his eyes were practically glued shut. When he opened them to see only a skeleton of a man and not All Might, his next reaction could only be called justified.

“An impostor! Perhaps a transformation quirk? Not with…” Izuku descended into incoherent mumbles until the man across from him coughed and spoke.

“I am the real All Might.”

“No way! Then why…” All might lifted his shirt, causing Izuku to trail off, eyes widening as he took in the void where the hero’s stomach should be.

“I got this in a fight five years ago, my stomach is gone, and most of my lung.”

Izuku, still shocked, muttered to himself, “five years ago? Wasn’t that when you fought Toxic Chainsaw?”

The skeletal All Might chuckled, “Haha, you’re well informed, but he couldn’t do this to me. I asked for this fight not to be televised, it would have caused mass panic. The Symbol of Peace can’t be seen as weak for even a moment.”

 _So he’s been injured, he’ll likely be weaker, which is probably why he’s been rarely sighted recently._ Izuku was reeling. _If even the number one hero can be injured like this, then quirks aren’t everything, maybe he’ll-”_

“As for your question,” All Might continued, oblivious to the small flame of hope he was about to throw to an ocean, “I cannot say that one can be a hero without a quirk.” _Snap._ “Even I can get like this,” he gestures to his wound as he speaks, “for someone quirkless it would be too dangerous.”

 _No, please don’t._ “If you want to save people there are professions like the police force and the medical field. But no, I don’t think you can be a hero without a quirk.” _He did._ “Anyway kid, I have to go. Now don’t go telling anyone about this on social media or anything, no one can know.”

“Of course,” came Izuku’s reply, using all the years of trauma and forced acting lessons(in avoiding beatings) to fake that smile and tone. The second the man was out of earshot Izuku mumbled, “you won’t have to worry about having told me, anyway.” An explosion went off in the distance, but Izuku couldn’t even be bothered to lift his head. His eyes stayed on the concrete roof beneath him, oblivious to passing time. The emotion in his eyes was so strong that if anyone cared to look his way, they’d wonder if he would soon drill a hole straight through to the ground.

He stared for the longest time, oblivious to the tears sliding down his face, the panicked explosions in the distance, the screaming of police sirens that are always late to the scene nowadays. He could hardly comprehend his thoughts as they overlapped in his head, drowning everything out in a cacophony of desolation and despair. As everything around him finally broke into his mind, a screaming sort of chaos to match his emotions, he took a step forward.

He slung his backpack off as his steps sped up, not bothering to take his shoes off, his last thought was, _I hope there’s a Hell out there better than this._ Then he was off, falling from the roof faster and faster until his head hit the ground to the shrieking of bystanders. He had only a second to feel the pain of his head splitting open before his neck snapped and he knew no more.


	2. Falling: The Angelic Nadir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku ends up in Hell, during the annual extermination. Queue the snap.

Falling. That was his first impression.  _ But I distinctly remember dying, why am I still falling? _ Then he hit the ground, not dying this time. His eyes snapping open, the first thing Izuku saw was carnage. Figures with white feathered wings were tearing through animalistic beings with no mercy, leaving countless corpses in the wake of their glowing white blades.

“You die now, demon.” Izuku’s head snapped to the side to see one of those feathered murderers hanging over him, spear in hand. As the demonic beings looked on from the sidelines, the spear came down… Only for it to stop an inch away as the angel went flying backwards,  _ missing an arm. _ Izuku tried to ignore the fact that he was responsible for that and took time to examine himself, as he had no chance before the angel had attempted to end him. He took the brief reprieve to look over himself and take in the thin layer of green fur covering his skin flecked with white markings like a reversed tiger, the different shape of his face.

He ran a hand through his hair and found there a pair of ears and looked behind himself to find a tail. His hands had become violently clawed paws, and his teeth had sharpened.  _ A cat then, I can work with that. Now if only I knew about the wings. _ Indeed there was a pair of dark green-marked white wings on his back, though they were slowly disappearing, becoming more transparent by the second. Izuku had no time to think about it, however, because in the next second the angel was back, arm regenerating slowly, spear held in the other hand.

“You’ll pay for that, demon.” Just like the first time, Izuku blanked. Nothing but the word ‘survive’ echoed in animalistic howling inside his brain, drowning out all rational thought as new instincts fought against even his morals to keep him alive. He brought a hand up, eyes snapping to meet the angel’s as the spear swung down. A stake of light—white, doubly glowing from within at a shade of green so dark it seemed impossible for it to glow—slammed from nothing through the front of the angel’s chest and shot straight out the back, the angel’s wide eyes, staring glassily, mouth open in his final scream, severed wings dropping from nonexistent shoulder blades as the body hit the ground.

Izuku snarled as the people on the sidelines, demon and angel alike, froze. They stared like deer in the headlights as the angel fell, Izuku’s eyes snapping from one angel to the other, all around the carnage-filled intersection he had landed in.

Raising his hand, that blinding green-veined white light formed claws on Izuku’s hand as he crouched down, ready to shoot forward and take down another of the angels before they could attack him… but a hand laid delicately on his shoulder.

Izuku whirled around, bringing holy claws to rest at the throat of the demon.  _ Red hair, red suit. Ears and antlers, so a deer. Sharp teeth, still a predator. _ “What do you want? Who are you?” Red on red eyes, glowing slightly, widened. As if instinctually, the deer demon exposed his throat just a bit, a clear submission. Though the deer looked annoyed only seconds after with what had to have been an involuntary action, he didn’t right himself as he spoke, Izuku’s claws still at his throat.

“Alastor, a pleasure to meet you,” the demon replied, swallowing. His voice sounded like it was filtered through a vacuum tube radio. An unnatural grin took its place on his face as he tilted his head to try and hide his instinctual reaction without actively bringing attention to it. “And you?”

Izuku looked the man in the face, eyes still narrowed. “Deku, now what do you want?”

“To warn you. Not that I don’t appreciate bloodshed, but you’re better off not fighting a losing battle, however entertaining that would be.”

The boy’s frown deepened, his mind still on high-alert but his personality mostly having returned with the touch, but the light on his claws still curled off in wisps, not leaving even as Izuku’s mind became semi-controlled.

“How...” The deer demon seemed at a loss for words.

“I’m in hell, aren’t I? If I’ve got power now I’m not gonna just sit back and let people abuse me. I’m sick and tired of people wanting me dead badly enough to tell me to commit suicide.” The instinct still held rather tight control of his thoughts, but his movement was loosening.

The deer’s eyes widened even farther, “How old were you?”

Curiosity flashed in slitted viridian eyes,  _ why does he…  _ “I was fourteen, not that it matters.”

“Who would say such a thing to a child?”

“Other children,” Izuku replied. Then, seeing an angel trying to take advantage of their conversation, Izuku jumped around Alastor to catch a flying spear just before it pierced the radio demon. The deer snapped around unnaturally fast to see a spear inches from his chest, real fear flashing in his eyes, hidden so well that Izuku could only tell because he too felt that fear.

Izuku lifted the spear above his head and threw it right back, creating something similar to a short sword with his powers. He was working and speaking off repressed feelings and instinct at this point, not truly aware of what he was doing, but knowing instinctively how to use what he created, along with how to react to threats. Years of watching hero fights and analyzing styles, moves, and strategies culminated into pure fighting instinct now that his body had the appropriate muscle to complete said moves, and instinct to force him to fight back.

As the angel moved forward it tried to dodge around Izuku to get at the deer demon. Weaker demons were watching wide-eyed, wondering why the overlord was out during the extermination in the first place, it was suicide after all. Izuku, on the other hand, was having none of it. He brought the short sword into the side of the angel’s chest and  _ pushed _ quicker than one could blink. The angel screeched as it went down, not expecting the boy to move as fast as he had. Demons stared, shocked with fear, the angels no different.

“Thank you,” came the quiet gratitude from the antlered demon behind him.

“It’s not at all a problem, Alastor.” Izuku looked over to the demon, no matter how shocked he was at his violence, the instinct had taken over. His eyes darted about, tracing sinners and angels alike, readying his sword once more. The angels backed off, swinging first chance into a connection back home. Izuku’s eyes narrowed and he turned toward the Radio demon, speaking softly. “Well, Alastor, I do believe this is goodbye. Perhaps I’ll see you around?”

The demon seemed to shake himself from a trance, eyes flicking up to meet Izuku’s. “Well, my good fellow, I have a few people you might want to meet! We can’t forget that you just arrived here, you have no place to stay, after all.”

“It’s not a problem, I’ve felt worse pain than a night on the streets.”

“Even so, it would be rude of me not to insist I repay you. You did save my life after all.”

“Think nothing of it. It’s what I wanted to do with my life... I still do, as you can tell, but hell would make that rather hard.”

“Even so,” Alastor spoke, never losing his smile, though it softened a bit, only noticeable to Izuku’s sharpened eyesight. Izuku closed his eyes for a moment, his sword dissipating as he heaved a sigh.

“Fine, but if I find myself harassed in any form of the word, I will not hesitate to leave.”

“I can deal with that.” The ever-present smile seemed to glow, a vacuum tube chuckle echoing from the demon’s chest.

Izuku chuckled at the deer’s dramatic responses, motioning to the demon to lead the way, folding his translucent wings against his back as they were still physical despite rapidly dissipating. Alastor walked through the gaping streets of Hell, now all the more terrified of the Radio Demon, but more afraid of this newcomer. He who could slaughter angels. Word gets around fast in Hell, the gossip hounds that its denizens are. Soon Izuku would be known as the Nundu, but that’s for another time.


	3. Regrets Converge to New Horizons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuku meets an optimist, a protector, a porn star, a neat freak, and a drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, the summaries SUCK. But y'all wanted this to continue, so I'm trying.
> 
> Also, this chapter, I believe is the length of the other two combined, I just don't know when to stop.

Izuku was panicking. He’d _killed someone_. Well, other than himself. So he was panicking, but it was in perspective. He’d saved someone too, he just had to cling to that. He’d saved someone, and sometimes killing was the only way to prevent more deaths. They walked through the streets of Hell, and Izuku calmed down slightly with every step they took closer to Alastor’s destination.

By the time they walked up to the front of a strange-looking building, looking to be made up of several- _Is that a SHIP?!_ It is. There is a ship in the middle of the building, _what the fuck._ Anyway, Izuku had calmed down enough externally that he could hide his growing internal panic, he’d gotten good at that around his Mother. The demon named Alastor was stepping along to a rhythm only he could hear, smile ever-present and still terrifying. If Izuku hadn’t seen fear earlier he would have assumed the man was always rather happy, not that he’d trust him regardless but the point stands.

Stepping up to the front door of the establishment labelled the ‘Hazbin Hotel,’ Izuku finally managed to school his features into something akin to a smile, despite the fact that he was still covered in blood. Alastor, ever the showman, quickened his pace to open the hotel doors with a flourish, leaving Izuku to stare inside, pausing at the door. Izuku regretted accepting the offer, he was wildly disadvantaged in this situation, knowing nothing about Hell itself or the unspoken rules or lack of.

Stepping forth before his pause became rude, awkward, or both, Izuku entered the doors and stepped into the entrance parlour of the Hazbin Hotel, eyes flitting around to the demons sitting about. A white spider sat draped over almost a whole couch, a feline that looked to be drinking away a hangover sat behind the reception desk/bar. Two ladies sat on one seat in a corner where they could see the whole room, and another smaller cyclops in a poodle skirt zipped about snatching dust off each surface, even where the ‘mess’ wasn’t actually noticeable.

Izuku’s feet were bare and made no noise as he walked to the doorway and observed the room. Alastor’s shoes, however, clicked lightly on the wood floor, and all eyes flicked to the entryway, focusing on the unfamiliar face rather than the known one. Many looked on in confusion, but one of the ladies in the corner, decorated in lace with long hair and only one eye, gripped a spear like the ones the angels had held. That immediately put Izuku on edge, but she wasn’t moving from her spot, so neither was he.

The tension was palpable until the white spider in the corner opened his mouth to say, “So who’s the kid?”

Izuku, still hyper-focused on the spear held by the one-eyed demon, answered absently, eyes darting about the room, taking in second impressions and smaller details in between glances at the spear. “I’m Deku.” His eyes never ceased their movement, the sight of the spear had nearly sent him into another instinctive haze, his rationality barely holding on by a thread as he flicked his eyes about in a habit he’d built in pure desperation in life.

The cat at the bar was obviously drunk, but that seemed like the norm for him, if one used everyone else’s disregard of the fact as evidence. His muzzle and face seemed to darken in a grey towards the center, and the bright red wings on his back held the symbols of card suits. His head fell against the bar after, apparently, discerning that whatever was going on in the lobby had no need for intervention on his part.

The other lady, the one not acting hostile as a Hyena over hoarded bones, looked to him with curiosity but also a bit of wariness. When Izuku tilted his head a few meagre degrees, she gestured to a TV that was running the camera feed of two, likely suicidal, reporters out during the extermination. Up in the top corner, they were replaying his fight with the angel. In his non-instinct-driven mind, just watching the fight and knowing it was him shot his anxiety through the roof. He looked different from what he could see, something he hadn’t noticed at the time. As he had walked behind the deer the exaggerated and violent demonic features had receded to what he’d seen when he looked over himself the first time, softer edges, and fluff over teeth to match Alastor’s and razor claws.

Around the fluff of his left paw, there was a mark reminiscent of the angels’ halos, or perhaps a crown. His mind snapped out of his thoughts when the angry one shifted, moving her spear in her hands to point toward him, obviously uncomfortable with the blank, thousand-yard-stare he had levelled at the wary one as he became lost in thought. His lip curled over snarling fang-teeth without any decision on his part, eyes focusing solely on the point of that spear. He knew, consciously, that he could take whoever this was and make a puddle out of their entrails, but he didn’t want to hurt anyone, despite his instincts pushing him to act differently.

The cat at the bar had sat back up, his eyes much too focused for someone who had ingested the quantity of alcohol he so obviously had. He seemed to be staring at the whole of the room, the tiny poodle skirt cyclops had paused in her zipping, sewing needle in hand, single eye switching between him and the hostile one with incredible speed. The spider, seemingly having lost interest, if not for the Tommy gun slung over his thigh opened his mouth as if to say something, but was cut off by Charlie, who had turned her back to him as she looked toward Izuku.

"Hello, welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, I’m Charlie! If I may ask, Deku, what brings you here?"

Izuku kept his eyes on the spear and answered quickly in his nervousness, "a deer." The answer was snappy, but not hostile though this was apparently enough to have the spear move closer. This time it was close enough to have a low growl make itself known as his slitted eyes narrowed in on the lady's face. What he saw stopped his violent instincts in their tracks. Fear, pure unadulterated fear hidden behind a mask of anger and aggression.

She was terrified, be it for herself or the happy one—Charlie—was yet to be seen, but it was probably for the happy one. That much fear for oneself would paralyze someone with indecision, but fearing for another was simple, put yourself between them and the threat, and that’s what she was doing. Charlie was behind her, her single eye darting to the television every now and then, watching his form tear an angel apart. His snarl softened into a small frown the longer his eyes remained fixed on the woman’s face.

Looking back on how he had responded to Charlie he figured he did snap a bit too harshly and returned his gaze to the girl’s face. He masked how uncomfortable he was at the fact he nearly lost himself to the instinct again and spoke. “I’m sorry… Charlie. My response was rather rude, it’s just been a pretty emotionally stressing day.” Izuku’s claws found the fluff of fur atop his head and mussed it until it looked like a bird’s nest. “I’m Deku, I just arrived here, in Hell I’m assuming, today. Or, seconds before my altercation with that angel.”

“Altercation! Is that what you call that?!” The angry one had finally had it. Her voice was raised in false disbelief, she was masking the fear in her voice, likely finding it an understatement on his part, wondering how much farther he’d go and how much of a threat he truly posed. Her raised voice carried, however, and soon demons began slipping through the shadows of the hallways, leaving their rooms to peek at what had the moth so riled up. Izuku had no way of knowing, but the moth’s outbursts of anger had become rare after a few decades of running the hotel, so to hear her screaming usually meant someone had fucked up _big time_.

Izuku carefully kept his voice level as he replied, “what else should I call it, self-defence? A fight, I suppose could work, but even that doesn’t really fit considering I was defending him,” flicking a clawed paw at Alastor, his eyes cut back to the spear as it shifted minutely. His nervousness was hidden as best as it could be, which was pretty well, but the mask was crumbling slightly. By Alastor’s gaze raising the fur on the back of his neck, he could tell the wendigo knew, though the ladies seemed to stay oblivious.

The cat, however, had set down his bottle of booze and had one leg up on a stool underneath him, as if preparing to leap the bar if needed, and the spider had hunched over slightly fixing his gaze on the shaft of the moth’s spear, grip on his Tommy gun tightening. The demons in the hallways were getting braver, stepping out behind the moth to creep along the walls leaving room for new demons to emerge.

They stared, trying to get some semblance of sense on the situation until one demon’s eyes caught the TV. Which was still _playing that damn fight._ A ripple effect went through the crowd and one gasped, eyes flicking to Izuku for only a moment before her body curled in on itself and she darted back into the hallway, the demons parting easily.

Izuku, seeing that snapping back wasn’t getting this anywhere decided to try another tactic. His gaze remained on the Moth, whose name was Vaggie, if the words whispered by Charlie as a silent plea were to be believed. His gaze, however, softened as he watched, not to pity, but to understanding. Izuku wanted, and honestly still wants to be a hero despite being in Hell, he understands that need to protect. After all, how many of Kacchan’s explosions had he taken to protect someone else? Would he have been willing to die for someone else?

Yes, he can say that with certainty.

Suddenly, he dropped himself from a standing position to sit on the floor, one paw came up to support his chin as his gaze continued to meet Vaggie’s, his elbow on his knee as his legs crossed. His tail stayed still, curled up to rise behind his back as he made sure it didn’t look like submission, only concession on his part. She didn’t relax immediately, but the loss of a rather intimidating posture, however short he was, seemed to allow Charlie’s words to get through to her. Eventually, after an awkward moment in which everyone standing was just staring at him, Charlie cleared her throat and gestured to an empty chair with her left hand. The other hand was wrapped around Vaggie’s arm rubbing her thumb up the side in a comforting sort of movement.

Izuku moved from the floor to the chair, glancing back to the deer who’d towered over the whole confrontation with no intervention. That smile was still present, and Izuku was getting the impression that it almost never left. Tilting his head slightly he flicked his eyes wordlessly to the seat beside him, which became occupied by the deer moments later. Charlie spoke once more, a reiteration of her question, “So, Deku, what brings you to the Hazbin Hotel?”

Izuku looked at Charlie fondly despite barely knowing her, he’d call her personality angelic if he hadn’t seen the angels earlier. “Alastor brought me here. I’ve just arrived in Hell, as I said.”

Charlie glanced quickly to Alastor who answered, his smile never once faltering despite the emotion Izuku could see in the minute tightening of his claws where they’d rested on his knee. Only Izuku could see this as he answered, “Well, he did just arrive only to put his life on the line for another. He has no place to stay, and I felt that perhaps he’d rather stay here than on the streets after his… show of heroism.”

Izuku flinched out of his seat at those words, falling to the floor and barely managing to avoid crushing his tail beneath him. Alastor’s head snapped to him with a sickening crack as Charlie stood up quickly, and Vaggie’s hand flicked as if wanting to grab for her spear again. The shameless crowd of gawkers looked on in confusion at his reaction to those words. “Are you alright, my contradictory companion?”

Izuku snorted at the formal and yet ridiculous form of address, moving to grab the hand that had been extended to him, noting the shock on the others’ faces but not understanding the reason for its presence. Rather than ask about it, he slipped back into his chair with a soft, “Yeah, I’m fine,” directed at Alastor, opting to pretend he’d not fallen out of the chair until someone else addressed it. He sat, preferring not to acknowledge what happened even a second before he had to.

As the silence became uncomfortable, even Alastor fidgeting in place, Charlie finally asked, “So what was that about?” The collective internal relief could be _felt_ in the very air.

Izuku kept his response simple, knowing in Hell less was probably more, especially in front of so many. “That heroism comment hit a little too close, for personal reasons.” The deer demon beside him tilted his head inquisitively, though he stayed silent. A flicker in his crimson eyes a telling tick, the deer had put the information away for later. Charlie merely hummed, bringing her hand up to cup her cheek as she thought.

“So, I know you’re probably not at the hotel for rehabilitation, considering your earlier action, but would you be willing to help us out? We get more and more sinners every decade, and we’re getting to the point that the current staff wouldn’t be able to handle much more.” Her smile was sincere, and she showed true emotion as she spoke. Izuku, having experience reading people for their next move, could tell she was actually asking for help, and not as some trap or power grab. Vaggie, who was still watching Izuku, despite the fact that she no longer showed any hostility, shifted her gaze to Charlie at the question.

He was still wary, but then his mind caught on one of her words, and anyone looking at him could see the record scratch that stopped his thoughts in their tracks. “Could you explain, rehabilitation?” His eyes flickered, his thoughts flicking habitually back into his analytical mindset. It took every ounce of willpower he had to avoid muttering all his theories aloud as he listened to Charlie explain.

A hotel that rehabilitates sinners in an attempt to reduce the population enough to make the exterminations unneeded. Huh, not something Izuku would have expected in Hell. But considering this lady hadn’t kicked him out after all the trouble he had likely caused, and after his actions since his arrival, he could see where the kindness had come from.

Izuku looked down to his hands resting on the table, knowing he really didn’t have a choice.

But… isn’t this what he _wanted_ to do? To help people, to be a hero? Heroes aren’t all about fighting the villain, not the good ones, at least. Villain rehabilitation programs had been set up by heroes across Japan and the world. He might have been useless in life, but maybe here he didn’t have to be. He tore his gaze from his hands to look back at Charlie, opening his mouth, smiling sincerely, he said, “Of course I’ll help out if you’ll have me.”

The smile that split Charlie’s face was so hopeful it hurt. That hope was what he’d had before, he’d nurtured it only to have it stomped out by someone who wasn’t even watching where they walked. He wouldn’t let it happen to her, she could do real good with her dream. Unlike his pipe dream of heroism, her’s could actually make a difference.

\------------------------------------

This is how I see Izuku as a demon. I drew so it's meh, but I'm proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? Let me know what you think, I suppose. Thank y'all for the original support, and I'm glad you guys want to see more.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone's reading this, do me a favour. Tell me if my spell-check no longer knows any form of English.


End file.
